King
James wants to shag Ryan…okay then.
The
plot:
The
Doctor accidently ends up in Lancashire in the 1700s, whilst trying to get to
Elizabeth I’s coronation.
She
and her companions then find themselves embroiled in the murderous plans of
Lady Becka Savage who’s been branding every woman she sees a witch and killing
them.
The
story is serviceable, if a little patronising. This is ironic, as it’s most
patronising moment came when the Doctor pretty much looked at the camera and
said ‘I’ve just been patronised because I’m a woman in the 1700s.’ I mean, was
that supposed to be a self-aware joke; I just saw that happen, the Doctor’s
visible frustration is enough to convey that. Visual story-telling; Show, don’t
tell.
There
were some funny moments, mainly based around Alum Cummings’ performance as King
James. In particular, his poorly disguised infatuation with Ryan calls back to
the old days of Russell T Davies’ comedic use of sexuality.
Another
thing that’s back from the T Davies era; really bad audio management in the
post-production. I actually said out loud to turn the music down during the
Doctor’s witch trial. As budgets go for BBC series, Doctor Who gets a shedload,
so there’s no excuse for this amateurism.
The
witch-zombie things are pretty effective as villains, but the big boss (Evil
Becka Savage monster queen) kind of strips away their creepiness, given that
she looks like the monster of the week.
Overall
an improvement on story, but a poor effort by post-production…looking at you
sound guy.
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